Poll trend continues: Nearly half of Americans believe creationism

Polls conducted over the past three decades show nearly half
of Americans have consistently shunned the theory of evolution, believing instead that God
created humans.

The most recent USA Today/Gallup poll on the issue
shows 46 percent of American adults believe "God created human beings pretty much in
their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so." In 10 previous Gallup polls
dating to 1982, an average 45 percent of respondents have held the same view.

Results of the new poll, conducted May 10-13, also show that 32 percent of
respondents believe humans developed from less advanced life forms over millions of years with God
guiding the process. Fifteen percent say humans evolved without God.

Among respondents who attend church weekly, 67 percent believe
God created humans, compared with 55 percent of those who attend semi-regularly and 25 percent of
those who attend rarely or never.

Among Republicans, 58 percent say they believe creationism,
compared with about 40 percent of Democrats and Independents.

Among respondents with post-graduate degrees, 25 percent
say believe the creationist theory. The view is held by about half of respondents with less
education.

The poll is based on interviews with cell phone and landline
users selected at random. It has a sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.